Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/223

506. Various forms of this pronoun, as kad, kim, and ku (and, rarely, ko), at the beginning of compounds, have passed from an interrogative meaning, through an exclamatory, to the value of prefixes signifying an unusual quality — either something admirable, or, oftener, something contemptible. This use begins in the Veda, but becomes much more common in later time.

507. The interrogative pronoun, as in other languages, turns readily in its independent use also to an exclamatory meaning. Moreover, it is by various added particles converted to an indefinite meaning: thus, by ca, caná, cid, ápi, vā, either alone or with the relative ya (below, 511) prefixed: thus, káç canáany one; ná kó ‘pinot any one; yā́ni kā́ni citwhatsoever; yatamát katamác cawhatever one. Occasionally, the interrogative by itself acquires a similar value.

Relative Pronoun.

508. The root of the relative pronoun is य ya, which from the earliest period of the language has lost all trace of the demonstrative meaning originally (doubtless) belonging to it, and is used as relative only.

509. It is inflected with entire regularity according to the usual pronominal declension: thus,

Singular.

Dual.

Plural.

m.

n.

f.

m.

n.

f.

m.

n.

f.

N.

यस्yás

यत्yát

याyā́

यौyāú

येyé

येyé

येyé

यानिyā́ni

यास्yā́s

A.

याम्yā́m

यत्yát

याम्yā́m

यान्yā́n

यानिyā́ni

यास्yā́s

I.

येनyéna

ययाyáyā

याभ्याम्yā́bhyām

यैस्yāís

याभिस्yā́bhis

D.

यस्मैyásmāi

यस्यैyásyāi

येभ्यस्yébhyas

याभ्यस्yā́bhyas

etc.

etc.

etc.

etc.

etc.

a. The Veda shows its usual variations of these forms: yā́ for yāú and for yā́ni, and yébhis for yāís; yós for yáyos also occurs once; yénā, with prolonged final, is in RV. twice as common as yéna. Reso-